Skype Journal: Skypems - The Future for Blog Comments?
June 28, 2005 04:23 PMThis is a post about Skype's share.skype.com blog, and the comments features that I perceive to be a real opportunity. Jaanus has done a great job of not only launching the site but finding a flavor for posts that are nice stories. On that score I now have to think a little harder and that's not a bad thing. Still it is Skype's comment system potential that I really lust after. While I still have "security" concerns about using Skype passwords, I also see an opportunity for it.
Blog Comments:
Skype's blog is unique in using the skype id for capturing blog comments. This provides all sorts of potential benefits for calling users back, connecting users in a community etc. In the future it will enable you to look at a blog post comment and see whether the user is online etc. depending on how they decide to share their presence. Similarly, the future of audio commenting is not far away. If you combine a "voice message" call with an ftp option, Skype could send audio comments straight to a site. It's alrealy been done by Pamela-Systems in their pro version. Video comments aren't that far away.
Skype Comments Login:
I had a security concern the first time I visited the share.skype.com site and entered my Skype name and password. Until then I had thought that Skype only used the log-in server to log my client into the cloud to make calls. I'd heard it was tucked away safe etc. Now it seems the same log-in server is being used to register commenters on the share.skype.com site. Thus they want to not only monitor when I log into Skype, but also potentially in the future when I am logged into certain communities etc. This capability like Microsoft's passport bothers me. It suggests they are thinking about centralizing presence and identity. Something I believe is a very bad move. Facilitate yes. Centralize and control "NO!".
Blog Commenters Profiles.
With SkypeID's used for commenters it becomes easy to envisage a way to pull in the Skype profile and details for the individual who commented. Similarly the use of the SkypeID is unique, so spam can be controlled and "fake" ID's quickly blocked from the system. One step further and the Skype profile will sprout a video intro "Hi I'm Stuart etc.. adding additonal information to first time commenters.
Skypems.com or Skypecomments.com
The real opportunity in this is to create Skypems (short for Skypecomments) for which each time a Skype-comment-enabled blog captures a new text, audio or video comment skypems.com is pinged just like technorati or weblogs.com. The ping would include the name of the individual the blog posted on etc. The real benefit of capturing comment pings is it enables a search engine to construct a commenters blog. Thus comments would no longer be lost in the blogosphere. As these go audio, interesting audio feeds could be created.
SkypeCommentSpam.
Yes this could just create a new spam war. With new accounts calling in voice spam to blogs. However, I think we'd solve that fairly quickly and it's a problem that all of Skype is faced with. It would be a great way to add a reputation thanks. Thus only commenters with no or positive comments are allowed. In the eBay style. Lots of opportunities.
TypeKey:
Typekey set out to provide a central identity system and thus contain blog spam. However, it just isn't universal enough. A system more closely tied to Skype may help to create the next generation of commenting capabilities. Basically while we have had innovation in blogs, from formats to types, audio, video etc. there hasn't been the same attention paid to commenters. This presents an opportunity which Skype could grab with the good feeling that exists generally in the blogosphere. However, I'm sure Yahoo is waiting in the wings. They could execute this functionality with 360 pretty quickly. Then just offer me the code to plug it into my site!
So Jaanus I have a request. I'd like to convert Skype Journal to your commenting system. I know there is a passcode issue. That would need to be sorted. I'll work with you to define the extra features and functionality we want to build in. We will manage Skypems.com. That will create a nice opportunity to start recognizing those that comment and don't blog. By pulling extracts from the original blogs, context can be provided for every comment. Similarly all comments for one blog can be searched etc. Audio vs text. Lots of opportunities.
On the internal developer side poor progress has been made to date on the voice messaging functionality. I want to click on the blog and leave a voice message. The voice messaging function requires an upgrade to effectively enable blog comments.
I've talked to more than one blog company about the above. So far I'm yet to find one smart enough to take an interest. Some blog buddies who I really respect have asked where is it written up? From my perspective the description above is enough. I also wrote Skype to Blog some time back. This stuff is not hard it just requires the willingness to focus on the conversational aspect of blogging.
BTW. Jaanus I'm delighted to read you have added a trackback feature.
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Comments (4)
Why not adding an additional form item when placing a comment where people can (additionally to their email or url) enter their Skype name? Combined with a callto: tag you would have at least a minimised possibility to Skype the people who place comments.
Posted by: Steffen at July 1, 2005 4:20 AM
Steffen,
I'll work to integrate this over the weekend. I've been meaning to do this. We've been a little slow doing all the Skype -enabled blogging things we have actually dreamed up and want to do.
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Posted by: Hary Busy at April 10, 2006 9:51 PM
I just can't see that voice comment on a blog will ever take off. Kinda like those voice recorded birthday cards.
They still sell but only once before every hates them.
Posted by: Gerard at July 9, 2006 3:54 AM